Published
By Ashley Cox
The Association of Colleges Finance Conference stands alone as the UK's one and only specialist college finance leadership conference and Crescent Purchasing Consortium will be among the luminaries in attendance as the event returns this May.
A go-to gathering for UK college sector stakeholders looking to keep abreast of headline issues in finance, funding, accounting and college management, those attending the one-day event on Thursday 14th May also have a new venue to look forward to.
After last year's AoC Finance Conference took place at Loughborough's Holywell Park Conference Centre, the 2026 edition sees things move a few miles north to Nottingham and its Crowne Plaza hotel, just a short stroll from the city's mainline rail station.
Visitors can expect expert contributions from a variety of exhibitors, including the Department for Education and, indeed, CPC, with our Procurement L&D Lead, Mark Pearson, among various speakers scheduled between 9am and 4.30pm on the big day.
Delegates arriving into Nottingham the night prior can also benefit from additional networking opportunities, when the venue hosts a special welcoming reception, helping sector professionals to connect early, while setting the table for subsequent talks.
As well as offering insights from the DfE, AoC and college leadership, organisers are promoting interactive breakout sessions, including workshops for addressing key finance issues and exploring practical sessions. In addition, their headline exhibition is set to showcase services and products which support the needs of college decision-makers, thus adding to the potential value.
The event will be sponsored by Sustainable Energy First, the exclusive energy partner of Crescent Purchasing Consortium and sole supplier on our compliant Utilities Supplies & Services procurement framework, which supports our Giving Back scheme.
We are pleased to confirm Mark Pearson's talk will be a continuation of CPC's Procurement Act support, titled 'Procurement Act 2023: One Year In', reflecting the concept of our recent webinar with the procurement law specialist, Kieran McGaughey.
Mark will be part of breakout session strand two, with those looking to make the most of his vast experience and status as an Qualified Practitioner of the Act encouraged to join him at 12.20pm. On the docket, discussion of early lessons learnt since the adoption of the Act, as well as the Schools Exemption which, despite its name, also extends to colleges. Mark will be on hand to advise on some more complicated third-party contracts, while covering upcoming developments in college-based buying.
Other speakers scheduled for Nottingham Crowne Plaza on 14th May include:
Becky Edwards, Deputy FE Commissioner, the FE Commissioner's Team
Connie Harris, CEO, Loughborough College Group
Catherine Hayes, Head of Adult Funding, Department for Work & Pensions
Carey Hornby, Head of Capital Unit, Department for Education
Heather Hunt, Deputy Principal & CFO, Solihull College & University Centre
Stephen Jones, Deputy Principal Finance & Resources, Cambridge Regional College
Read on for the full programme of events or head to the official Association of Colleges website for further information...